Tiger in the Thicket (1): Xu Province
"One, thrust! Two, slash! One, two!"
"Arms down! Raise them! And you call yourselves elite soldiers?!"
"You think you'll beat bandits with skills like that?!"
The training grounds of Tunying echoed with thunderous roars. Soldiers with blue bands tied around their arms threw themselves into drills under the bellows of a fierce-looking general.
"Hm..."
From atop the walls, a black-haired woman gazed down, fiddling with the streak of white hair at her temple before closing her eyes.
"...Pathetic."
She twisted the white strand forward. Once a neat, beautiful mane of black, it had turned snowy from the grueling years past. The partial graying looked awkward as hell, but dyeing it all black felt wrong too. So she'd decided: keep the white as a reminder, and make damn sure nothing stressed her out enough to make it worse.
Like, say, personally crushing the Yellow Turban remnants and Black Mountain bandits swarming Xu Province.
"If I screw up, those guys down there are dead meat. But with so few troops... not sure we can win. Haha."
"Don't say that, General."
Sun Uk, dressed in scholar-official robes, bowed to her.
"If Cao Mengde said something like that, the generals would revolt on the spot. Cao Mengde isn't the type to whine."
"Harsh. Can't I even have time to be a woman? No room for sentiment? Shame."
At Cao Cao's—Cao Mengde's—jest, the women beside Sun Uk chuckled. A sharp-featured tall beauty and a sloppily dressed flirt relaxed their clasped fists toward Cao Cao.
"Told you. Sun Uk's too stiff—can't tell when it's girls-only time."
"Right? Can't live on edge forever. Relax. Deep breaths. In, in, out."
"...Jeong Uk, Guo Jia. You two."
Sun Uk scowled.
"The Black Mountain bandits could strike any—"
"Halt!!"
Chaos erupted below the walls. The four atop them startled at the sight of soldiers blocking stairs—and a woman slicing through them.
"Assassin?!"
"Assassins these days just charge in killing?"
"More like subduing. She's cutting them down non-lethally on her way up."
"Hm."
Cao Cao frowned at her troops crumpling. Then her eyes widened as the petite sword-wielder revealed herself female.
"Who is she?"
"Can't tell from here, but her swordplay's impressive. Handles parries like a pro."
Clang.
"Generals below caught on. But it'll take time for them to climb. Fall back, my lord."
Jeong Uk drew his sword from his belt. Woman or not, she matched the elite guards of Tunying in skill.
"I'll cover you. Sun Uk, Guo Jia—escort the lord."
With Cao Cao's guards getting shredded by this parry master, only Jeong Uk could protect her now.
"Fine. Give me the sword and get back."
"Ah, my lord!!"
"It's fine. If I don't protect my people, who'll protect me?"
Cao Cao took the blade from Jeong Uk and leveled it forward.
"Besides, I'm better with a sword than you. I should guard you."
"...Shameless."
"Relax. I can take her. Hah."
Her stance far crisper than Jeong Uk's, she aimed with lethal poise.
"Who are you?"
"...Xu You!"
The intruder who breached the guards named herself Xu You. Realizing she couldn't take Cao Cao alone, she scanned her up and down with a tense face.
"Why attack my soldiers?"
"Your soldiers? You the boss around here?"
"The boss?"
"General, take her down now...!"
"Ahahaha!"
Cao Cao clutched her belly, roaring with laughter.
"Boss! Yeah, call me boss. I'm the one responsible for the soldiers you downed. So, what's your business?"
"Looking... for someone."
Something was off. Xu You bowed awkwardly.
"They wouldn't show ID, said I couldn't, blocked me—and threatened a lone woman like me."
"Lies. No reason to sword your way up here waving steel. Only the general and us three are on these walls, right?"
"Huh? No way..."
Xu You glanced puzzled at the four.
"Soldiers said Sun Uk was definitely here..."
Sun Uk. Misunderstanding. Soldiers. Inspection.
"...Barging in on an official like that. Must be urgent, huh? Haha."
"Hahaha! Thought it was some nobody—turns out it's Sun Uk's guest!"
Sun Uk flushed crimson, head bowed low. Cao Cao turned, patting her shoulder.
"Looks like your recommended talent's a real character? General material? We welcome the able anytime!"
"...Sorry. Don't know her."
"What?"
Cao Cao's face hardened. Sun Uk stepped forward stiffly.
"She came for me. I'll handle it."
Sun Uk faced Xu You, glaring venomously, sizing her up.
"Why seek me out?"
"Uh, well..."
Xu You eyed Sun Uk—and Cao Cao's glare. Seeing Sun Uk defer to Cao Cao, and Cao Cao boss her casually, she hesitated to pull out her item.
"Fr... from Jingzhou."
"What?"
Sun Uk lunged forward at "Jingzhou."
"Jingzhou? You don't mean he..."
"Hold it."
"Sister, calm down. Could be an assassin?"
Without Jeong Uk grabbing her wrist and Guo Jia blocking, she'd have rushed Xu You.
"Jingzhou talk always flips her switch. Hiding a hubby there?"
"........."
"Oops, crossed the line?"
Guo Jia teased, stepping back. Jeong Uk jaw-pointed at Xu You.
"What's in your bosom?"
"...Bamboo slips."
"Slips? Unroll 'em on the ground. How do we know no dagger's inside."
"Uh, this is for Scholar Sun Uk direct..."
"Sun Uk, you good?"
"........."
Sun Uk's face grew grave. She mouthed Jingzhou, Jingzhou.
"Can I unroll?"
"Nah, probably not..."
"Sun Uk?"
"...Sh-should be fine? Yeah, fine. No one'd write that now. Hm, so, to reply, we gotta check contents..."
"Unrolling shows everything—why talk nonsense? Sister, you broken?"
"No, it's..."
Thud, thud.
Cao Cao strode to Xu You, hand out for the slips. Close enough for a hidden blade strike, yet she boldly took them.
"Sun Uk, not a cipher, right? Then I can read?"
"Not a cipher, but..."
"So it's a love letter from some Jingzhou beau?"
"Ah!"
Xu You clapped in shock. Cao Cao smirked; Sun Uk's limbs trembled.
"...Ahem."
"Whoa, love letter! Guy's clueless. Those go on silk, crooning sweet noth—"
"I oppose your thinking. Dong Zhuo will fall within the year."
A wind howled across the walls as Cao Cao finished. Jeong Uk and Guo Jia edged from Sun Uk.
"What the...?"
"...Just advice from an acquaintance."
"Advice. Interesting."
"Uh, n-not a love letter...?"
Xu You froze too. Amid the tension, only Cao Cao, reading calmly, stayed cool.
"Dong Zhuo dies? Nine times out of ten, assassination. Or maybe he gets so fat he drops dead suddenly. Assassination likeliest—Changan falls to infighting. Crush the Black Mountain bandits' worst quick."
"General, he..."
"Stomp the real scum. Absorb the rest as farmers. They can be soldiers in a pinch. Fascinating. Sun Uk, who is this?"
"...Calls himself Geum Taeyang."
Sun Uk finally spoke. Face twisted, but Cao Cao just grinned, silently scanning more.
"Relationship?"
"If choosing Yuan Shao or Cao Cao, pick Cao Cao."
"What?"
"Before I joined you, General. His words."
"......Intriguing. Chose me over Yuan Shao? Why?"
Cao Cao licked her lips, reading on. Xu You peeked stiffly.
"Said you're better suited to realize my ambitions."
"Why?"
"Yuan Shao'd see me as one of many advisors. You, General, would use me as chief strategist."
"Chose Cao Mengde not 'cause she's greater than Yuan Benchu—but so Sun Uk can shine? Hm... secret letters make sense now. Lovers, maybe. Heh."
Cao Cao folded the slips, handing to Sun Uk.
"We'll read together next time. So, where's he from? Wait—no. You, Xu You?"
"Y-yes!"
Xu You snapped straight.
Cao Cao toyed with her lip, pointing at the slips.
"Says to bring a reply?"
"Yes. Deliver and must get response..."
"Then wait somewhere. Follow. To the office."
Cao Cao gazed grimly beyond the walls.
"Never thought I'd get life advice from a stranger's love letter."
"L-love letter..."
"Sun Uk. Man's handwriting?"
"...Yes."
"Reply sometime: come up here once. ...This time."
Cao Cao smacked her lips, eyeing south.
"Wanna see his face. Ask seriously—this mystery man who recommended Sun Uk to me."
"........."
"Why follow me, not Yuan Benchu. What does he see in me to say that. A man with that insight..."
Cao Cao clenched her fist.
"...What he sees in my, Cao Mengde's, future."
She supported him because he's a woman.
"Oh right, that guy... Sun Uk, secret husband back home? Or single? ...Married?"
"........."
Sun Uk couldn't utter a word.